A MAN who was hoping to spend the day relaxing and soaking up some sun at the beach ended up with a rather unusual wake-up call. And it’s one he’s unlikely to forget anytime soon.

The sunbather, who had dozed off in a rather unfortunate spot near an airport runway, was lucky to escape injury when a low-flying plane came way too close for comfort.

Shocking footage has emerged of the incident, which occurred at Heligoland Airport, located on an island off the coast of northern Germany, local paper Bild reports. The runway is positioned right up alongside the beach.

According to witnesses the man was forced to lie “flat as a flounder” to avoid being hit as the plane flew perilously close overhead. He can be seen ducking his head just in the nick of time.

Plane close

Rainer Schmidt, the beachgoer who shot the video, told the UK’s Telegraph that it was clear the landing wasn’t a standard one.

“I had seen five planes land before this one came in,” he said. “I instantly realised that this one was coming into land far too low. The others were at least six metres high. It was so close to the man on the beach.”

Witness Uwe Kaiser, 38, says he was lying on the same beach and agrees the man was very lucky.

“The man who was almost hit was lying down and he turned over to look after seeing the plane coming and then instantly flung himself down in the sand as it crossed over him. It really was a close shave.”

The plane then hit a wooden fence, and sustained some minor damage.

The sunbather was able to walk away unscathed.

Juergen Drucker, the 52-year-old pilot of the Piper PA-28-181 Archer II plane has apologised for the incident and said he didn’t see the sunbather:

“I have to say, as the pictures show, that it wasn’t one of my greatest achievements in the cockpit,” he said. “In my defence I can say that I didn’t see him because he was lying down and I’m just very grateful it worked out well and I didn’t land on him. I don’t want to say any more than that. I fear I will be in for a fine from the Federal Aviation Office but I hope I will be able to keep my licence.”

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